Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking to help protect women in El Fasher.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, there has been a significant escalation of gender-based violence (GBV) in Sudan. The UK has pivoted our programme delivery to focus on GBV protection and care for rape survivors. We have also integrated consideration of conflict-related sexual violence into the humanitarian system, making use of Women's Centres, mobile clinics and internally displaced persons' gathering points, for community engagement and service provision for GBV care.
Jul. 14 2023
Source Page: Situation in Sudan: joint statement from members of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in ConflictFound: Situation in Sudan: joint statement from members of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence
Written Evidence May. 08 2024
Inquiry: Implications of the war in Ukraine for UK DefenceFound: IUD0008 - Implications of the war in Ukraine for UK Defence Henry Jackson Society Written Evidence
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help address the needs of women and girls (a) subjected to sexual slavery and other forms of gender-based violence and (b) otherwise affected by the conflict in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has provided up to £24 million in humanitarian support in Cabo Delgado to date and is reaching up to 100,000 of the most vulnerable people displaced by conflict. This includes increased support through mobile health brigades and the provision of civic documentation for those displaced, along with mental health and psychosocial support for those displaced, including assistance for women and girls affected by gender-based violence and trauma. These interventions recognise the increased risk for women and girls in conflict settings and help to reduce some of the inequalities they face.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle violence against women and girls in conflict zones.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Tackling gender-based violence (GBV) is a priority for the UK, including in conflict zones. We have committed £60 million to the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, including to the development of international guidance such as the Murad Code and support to survivors. At the Global Refugee Forum in December 2023, we pledged £2 million to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women to tackle violence in crisis situations, including conflict. In November we announced a new £15 million programme to prevent and respond to GBV in Somalia. We will continue to prioritise efforts to address the disproportionate impact of conflict on women and girls.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support survivors and (b) help prevent the further use of rape as a weapon of war in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, there has been a significant escalation of gender-based violence (GBV) in Sudan. The UK has pivoted our programme delivery to focus more on care for rape survivors. We have also integrated consideration of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) into the humanitarian system, making use of Women's Centres, mobile clinics and internally displaced persons' gathering points, for community engagement and service provision. We continue to call on both warring parties to abide by their responsibilities under International Humanitarian Law to protect civilians, including from CRSV, as well as to grant immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access to allow the provision of, and access to, lifesaving assistance including comprehensive GBV services.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the treatment of women and girls by Houthi groups in Yemen.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of gender-based violence (GBV), including conflict-related sexual violence, in Yemen. We know that in conflict, women and girls are disproportionately impacted. That is why we have made Yemen a focus country in the UK's National Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security. Through the National Action Plan, cross-government efforts will prioritise women's full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in conflict prevention, reduction and resolution. The UK champions the important role women, youth and civil society can play - both in securing, and sustaining, peace in Yemen.
In addition, FCDO funds our Women and Children Programme to address the needs of women and children in Yemen. Funding for 2023-2024 is £38 million. This will include interventions aimed at preventing and responding to GBV in subsequent years.
Jul. 14 2023
Source Page: Joint Statement from members of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict on the Situation in SudanFound: Joint Statement from members of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps the UK is taking to address sexual violence as a weapon of war in the Mozambique.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK has provided up to £24 million in humanitarian support in Cabo Delgado to date and is reaching up to 100,000 of the most vulnerable people displaced by conflict. This includes increased support through mobile health brigades and the provision of civic documentation for those displaced, along with mental health and psychosocial support for those displaced, including assistance for women and girls affected by gender-based violence and trauma. These interventions recognise the increased risk for women and girls in conflict settings and help to reduce some of the inequalities they face.
Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 4 July (HL8647) and 18 September (HL9785), what progress has been made in monitoring conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan, what steps they are taking to support accountability for conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan, and what steps they are taking to ensure that the United Nations fact-finding mission for Sudan includes conflict-related sexual violence expertise.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to tackling gender-based violence including conflict-related sexual violence globally. We continue to call for an end to the violence in Sudan, and for those responsible for human rights violations to be held to account. The UK has enhanced its atrocity risk monitoring, including monitoring of conflict-related sexual violence. The Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted the UK-led 'Sudan Core Group' Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in October, which will ensure that credible allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including conflict-related sexual violence, by all sides will be investigated impartially by experts in their field to support future accountability efforts. The HRC Presidency has begun the selection process for the three experts that will make up the FFM. We continue to support the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other UN partners working with Sudan's Combating Violence Against Women Unit.